11-11-2003, 06:41 AM
An excerpt froom RISA-L. Prof Balagangadhara's response to some scurrilous allegations. Note that Bharatvani is referred to as a 'filth factory'. Of course it is not mentioned where and what the filth is
Dear Friends,
Dear Deepak,
Off-list, I received some puzzled reactions to my statement about
defamation. Perhaps, spelling some things out would help.
1. Here is what Stephen Brown says about Rajiv Malhotra: "I have personally
been witness to the verbally violent interrogation and attack of scholars by
individuals acting "on his request" at the past two AAR annual meetings, and
have heard by word of mouth of other incidents at other major academic
conferences (such as the Tantra conference in Flagstaff, AZ)."
1.1. If Stephen Brown is a "witness" to "violent attack and interrogation"
on scholars by people acting on Rajiv Malhotra's "request", it means that
Stephen Brown has himself *heard* Rajiv Malhotra requesting some individuals
to "violently attack and interrogate" people. If he has, he should *name*
the individuals, who have acted thus in "the past two AAR meetings", and
specify the "times" (it must have happened at least twice), where and when
Rajiv Malhotra made this request. If he cannot, he is indulging in libel.
1.2. He claims to have "heard by word of mouth of other incidents". This is
plain defamation of character.
2. About Zydenbos.
2.1. He speaks about Bharatvani thus: "Bharatvani is a cyberspace outlet of
the Hindutva filth factory." He claims to be "disappointed and troubled"
that I am listed there as "an author". One presumes that he is not troubled
by the fact that Baharatvani lists me as "an author" (and not, for instance,
as a carpenter). So, one has to assume that his feelings stem from the fact
this "filth factory" lists me as a "producer". Being the kind of factory it
is, it can only approvingly refer to a 'producer of filth'. He is, however,
not convinced that I am no producer of filth; he is troubled that I could be
one. Hence he asks me to "request Bharatvani to remove my name from their
pages" unless, of course, he says the inclusion of my name finds my
"approval". So, I am guilty by association: if a fascist approvingly cites
Darwin or Einstein, they are fascists too.
2.2. I am included in the same page among "well-known names" (so, what is
the problem?), including a "fellow who campaigns against this list as a
whole (as well as against academic freedom and freedom of the press, as the
present Courtright case has shown)". So, one has to assume that the
adjective "well-known" is meant to refer to a group, which includes such a
"fellow" as the above, who is against "academic freedom and freedom of the
press" and such other things. Again, guilty by association.
2.3. That I am called Prof. Balu is used to make the following innuendo: "If
I were Prof. Balu (as he is fondly named also in more than one message on
the aforementioned vociferous Yahoogroups list)". This group is
unflatteringly referred to both in terms of "the level and nature of
intellectual content and the style of presentation" and the "kind of crowd
populates that part of cyberspace". If they *fondly* refer to me as Prof.
Balu, what does it say about me? This is another insinuation. Zydenbos does
not know or care to know that I am referred to as 'Balu' everywhere: in
India, in Belgium, in the US, and by my friends and by my enemies. This
shortened form is simply to make me appear suspect.
2.4. Then, of course, he proffers his ruminations: "Perhaps a glance at
Bharatvani helps us hermeneutically to gain an insight into the intentions
behind the writings coming out of Ghent." Now, these innuendos are supposed
to help the reader understand the *intentions* (of all things!) of writings
coming from my University. Not only am I and Jakob De Roover damned, but any
one else coming from my university.
2.5. In light of all this, his wish: "I believe that Prof. Balu (note how
Zeydenbos also 'fondly' calls me) put himself up here for election to
something a while back... I wish the voters sagaciousness and all the best."
3. Because this is a moderated list, the listserv is liable if someone takes
it into his/her head to prosecute for libel. It hosts the content, and, as a
moderated list, it is assumed that all messages are approved.
4. In any case, it is just about conceivable that my next response to libel
and innuendo's will not be a friendly warning. I hope earnestly that people
like Stephen Brown and Zydenbos also realise that they cannot simply go
around assassinating the characters and reputations of people with impunity.
Friendly greetings,
Balu
Dear Friends,
Dear Deepak,
Off-list, I received some puzzled reactions to my statement about
defamation. Perhaps, spelling some things out would help.
1. Here is what Stephen Brown says about Rajiv Malhotra: "I have personally
been witness to the verbally violent interrogation and attack of scholars by
individuals acting "on his request" at the past two AAR annual meetings, and
have heard by word of mouth of other incidents at other major academic
conferences (such as the Tantra conference in Flagstaff, AZ)."
1.1. If Stephen Brown is a "witness" to "violent attack and interrogation"
on scholars by people acting on Rajiv Malhotra's "request", it means that
Stephen Brown has himself *heard* Rajiv Malhotra requesting some individuals
to "violently attack and interrogate" people. If he has, he should *name*
the individuals, who have acted thus in "the past two AAR meetings", and
specify the "times" (it must have happened at least twice), where and when
Rajiv Malhotra made this request. If he cannot, he is indulging in libel.
1.2. He claims to have "heard by word of mouth of other incidents". This is
plain defamation of character.
2. About Zydenbos.
2.1. He speaks about Bharatvani thus: "Bharatvani is a cyberspace outlet of
the Hindutva filth factory." He claims to be "disappointed and troubled"
that I am listed there as "an author". One presumes that he is not troubled
by the fact that Baharatvani lists me as "an author" (and not, for instance,
as a carpenter). So, one has to assume that his feelings stem from the fact
this "filth factory" lists me as a "producer". Being the kind of factory it
is, it can only approvingly refer to a 'producer of filth'. He is, however,
not convinced that I am no producer of filth; he is troubled that I could be
one. Hence he asks me to "request Bharatvani to remove my name from their
pages" unless, of course, he says the inclusion of my name finds my
"approval". So, I am guilty by association: if a fascist approvingly cites
Darwin or Einstein, they are fascists too.
2.2. I am included in the same page among "well-known names" (so, what is
the problem?), including a "fellow who campaigns against this list as a
whole (as well as against academic freedom and freedom of the press, as the
present Courtright case has shown)". So, one has to assume that the
adjective "well-known" is meant to refer to a group, which includes such a
"fellow" as the above, who is against "academic freedom and freedom of the
press" and such other things. Again, guilty by association.
2.3. That I am called Prof. Balu is used to make the following innuendo: "If
I were Prof. Balu (as he is fondly named also in more than one message on
the aforementioned vociferous Yahoogroups list)". This group is
unflatteringly referred to both in terms of "the level and nature of
intellectual content and the style of presentation" and the "kind of crowd
populates that part of cyberspace". If they *fondly* refer to me as Prof.
Balu, what does it say about me? This is another insinuation. Zydenbos does
not know or care to know that I am referred to as 'Balu' everywhere: in
India, in Belgium, in the US, and by my friends and by my enemies. This
shortened form is simply to make me appear suspect.
2.4. Then, of course, he proffers his ruminations: "Perhaps a glance at
Bharatvani helps us hermeneutically to gain an insight into the intentions
behind the writings coming out of Ghent." Now, these innuendos are supposed
to help the reader understand the *intentions* (of all things!) of writings
coming from my University. Not only am I and Jakob De Roover damned, but any
one else coming from my university.
2.5. In light of all this, his wish: "I believe that Prof. Balu (note how
Zeydenbos also 'fondly' calls me) put himself up here for election to
something a while back... I wish the voters sagaciousness and all the best."
3. Because this is a moderated list, the listserv is liable if someone takes
it into his/her head to prosecute for libel. It hosts the content, and, as a
moderated list, it is assumed that all messages are approved.
4. In any case, it is just about conceivable that my next response to libel
and innuendo's will not be a friendly warning. I hope earnestly that people
like Stephen Brown and Zydenbos also realise that they cannot simply go
around assassinating the characters and reputations of people with impunity.
Friendly greetings,
Balu